Jesus proclaimed he had come to bring liberation to the oppressed and to set the captives free (Luke 4:18-19). Throughout the course of scripture, God has a history of doing this very thing over and over. God is in the business of bringing freedom and liberation to the powerless. And yet, this calls to our attention what it means to be oppressed and what it means to be freed. There are different types of oppression. There is physical oppression and there

Have you ever expected to find rest during the weekend only to be met by a broken AC or unexpected leaky roof? Since the pandemic, this has possibly been most of our lives. We expect one thing and discover another. In our scripture for this week from Acts 16, the disciples go to Philippi and expect to discover a place of prayer. Instead, they encountered people. The disciples encountered a group of women and began to listen to them, and the

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.... so they say..... I am sure many of us are familiar with the phrase, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." I heard my southern grandma say this a few times growing up. As well as, "remember, it is so much easier to pick up if everything has a place." Cleanliness and orderliness in the home remain very important to my grandma and many of us. In ancient Israel, cleanliness of home but also body, people, food,

Have you ever been given a second chance? I would imagine most of us have been given numerous second chances with those that we care about. Maybe it was after making a mistake at your job, or maybe it was hurting someone you love. Regardless what the case may be, we've all been offered a second chance at some point in life. This week's scripture lesson is possibly one of the most inspiring second chance stories in existence. In Acts

Despite contrary belief, God isn't only present on Sundays at 11am. Rather, God is present forever and always. We were reminded of this a few weeks ago when we celebrated Pentecost, and we are reminded yet again in this week's scripture lesson. In Acts 8:26-40, the disciples are going about doing ministry when Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch. They are headed down the road in mid-conversation when they come upon some water on the side of the road. The eunuch